Australia has decided to expel Iran’s ambassador and move toward officially designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, a step that could prompt the United Kingdom and European Union to do the same.
Australian intelligence agencies have linked the Iranian government to anti-Semitic arson attacks on Jewish community sites in Sydney and Melbourne in late 2024.
The Iranian ambassador and three other officials have been given a week to leave the country -- the first time since World War II that Australia has expelled an ambassador.
SEE ALSO: Radio Farda Exposé On IRGC Corruption, Infighting Raises Ire Of Iranian AuthoritiesHossein Alizadeh, a former Iranian diplomat in Finland, told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda that the number of diplomats being expelled by Canberra carries a clear message.
“Expelling a single person is significant in diplomatic relations, but when Australia says it is expelling the ambassador along with three diplomats, it suggests they have solid evidence to support the allegation,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei dismissed the allegations, insisting that “antisemitism has no place in our policies.”
He said during his weekly press conference that Australia’s decision would hurt bilateral relations and “is influenced by internal Australian affairs.”
“Of course, every inappropriate and unjustified diplomatic action will have a reciprocal move,” Baqaei said.
Alizadeh told Radio Farda that the alleged plots on Jewish communities in Australia are part of Tehran’s attempts to respond to Israel’s covert operations against Iranian interests, including sabotage operations and assassination attempts that Israel has never officially admitted to.
He said Iran is not able to deliver proportionate responses to Israel’s actions, “so it targets Jews across the world, regardless of whether they have any ties to Israel.”
Momentum Builds To Blacklist IRGC
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the IRGC terrorist listing is being prepared, bringing Australia in line with countries such as the United States and Canada. The IRGC has been accused internationally of directing violent campaigns outside Iran and suppressing dissent within its borders.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a British-Australian academic who was jailed in Iran for two years on spying charges she denies, welcomed the government’s decision.
“I applaud Albanese and [Foreign Minister Penny] Wong for stepping up and taking decisive action against a brutal regime which has long shown itself to be an enemy of the Australian people. It's such a shame that it's taken them so long,” she wrote on X.
SEE ALSO: EU Says It Cannot Brand Iran's IRGC As A Terror Group Before Court Ruling FirstThe IRGC is a formal branch of Iran’s armed forces, but it is distinct from the regular army and holds much broader political and ideological responsibilities. It functions as both a domestic security force and an overseas paramilitary organization dedicated to furthering Iran’s interests through proxies and covert operations. It is also deeply integrated within Iran’s political and economic landscape.
The EU and UK have faced mounting pressure to formally proscribe the IRGC, but both have so far stopped short, citing legal and diplomatic obstacles.
The European Parliament has twice voted in favor of blacklisting the group, yet EU law requires a conviction, administrative ban, or evidence from a member state before a designation can proceed.
In the UK, the government reportedly prepared to blacklist the IRGC as early as 2023 amid parliamentary and civil pressure but ultimately held back -- leaving Australia’s move as a potential catalyst for fresh debate in Europe and the UK.